


The Lost Prince

by HoneyJackal



Series: Undertale Post-Pacifist [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-10 13:36:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5587969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoneyJackal/pseuds/HoneyJackal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>**FEMALE FRISK HEADCANON**</p><p>Part 2 of my Post-Pacifist series</p><p>A year after escaping the underground, everything seems to be working out; Asgore and Toriel are back together, Toriel's school is steadily growing in student body (human and monster), Sans has a job testing videogames while Papyrus is taking cooking classes (though he's already the best of course), Gaster is back and solid in the timeline, Undyne is an MMA fighter "Undyne the Undying", Alphys is still going strong with her determination research, and Frisk is happy with her gigantic family of monsters...</p><p>Flowey is slowly learning how to trust others, and with some help from Gaster and Alphys it seems that he's even learning how to Hope again. </p><p>Is there something more here though? Is Flowey going to be able to change back into Asriel? Or will he be a Flower-Monster forever?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. LOVE

" Your first dose is tomorrow." Frisk smiled as she set out Flowey's koolaid-plant food mixture. 

"Dose of what? Oh... you mean that stuff that's keeping the old man from slipping back into his madness?" he muttered before huffing and turning away again, "They're not injecting me with anything." He crossed his leaves like little arms and huffed, deciding not to even look at the mix. 

Frisk raised a brow then giggled,"It's just a poke, are you scared of needles?"

"No, I'm not afraid of anything," Flowey huffed, now turning to drink his food before making a face. "But I am not trapped in the void and I am not melting. This magic won't give me a soul where I have none," he muttered before grinning wickedly at Frisk, "So let's see what happens instead..."Frisk chose to ignore the tone in Flowey's voice. 

"Well Perseverance, Determination and Hope make a soul, or most of it....Alphys and Gaster have two of the three and the rest is the byproduct of those two reacting....or-or at least that's what Alphys said..."

"And you believed her?" Flowey stated before scoffing and finishing off his drink. He made a face of disgust before huffing, "I'm stuck like this, Frisk. No amount of magic drugs is going to bring Asriel back. You were lucky enough that you saw him once."

Frisk paused, "I know....but wouldn't you like to feel something again? Even if that's all it does for you? You don't have to become Asriel or anything..." She didn't know how many times she'd told Flowey that...

"Golly, I just don't see how I can. I've tried everything..." His face twisted into a demonic one for a moment. "What can that old fart and lizard do that I couldn't?"

"See? You do lack perseverance...you're giving up." She poked at him. "Bad Flowey." Frisk teased.

He huffed and pouted as Frisk poked at him, shifting away. "Stop it! It's not going to work and then you're going to feel terrible for encouraging me!"

"It'll work, you have all that determination!" She beamed at him. "I'll even take you myself after school." Flowey growled and looked away with a pout. He huffed and bounced again before grinning.

"Ooo, perfect, then you can hear for yourself why the old man can't be trusted! Hee hee." Of course Flowey knew what Gaster had done since he'd reset so often to see it. Even if he couldn't move without a soul or fight in the pot Alphys had put him in, he still had his mind and his powers... and all it would take was coaxing someone to pull him from the pot.

" I already know...he told me everything." Frisk murmured, staring at the flower as he paused and his voice deepened and darkened. 

" And you still trust him? How stupid can ya get kid?!" 

" He's trying. People can change...and I don't think I have to remind you of all the bad things you've done." Frisk crossed her arms then sighed...suddenly she had an idea. "Do you wanna play a game with me?"

Flowey paused, watching Frisk suspiciously. "What kind of a game?..."

"Lemme show you! Everybody's in it, Sans showed me," she picked Flowey up and moved him to her room to sit in her lap. "It's called Pokemon, and you can fight and train and play with them." She pulled her DS out of her nightstand and started it up. "I just caught a Sunkern, and I named him after you."

"Golly, sounds an awful like the game we're playing now," he joked, his face turning demonic for a moment before he winked at her. His cheer faded however, once he was in her lap and the game was starting. "Alright so... this is about capturing monsters? Do you take their souls to make them fight for you?..."

"Nope there's no soul taking, but it is about monsters, you have to make them like you so they want to fight for you." Frisk smiled.

"I don't see the point of capturing them if you're not going to take their souls. Gee, it just seems like an awful waste..." he chimed, wondering if there was some button or mechanic in the game Frisk just wasn't pressing or playing with. Then again, this explained a whole lot about why she still insisted on making friends with everyone instead of hurting them.

"Just watch. I'll show you everyone. I even made up stories about how I met them." She opened up her bag then tapped the "Pokemon" tab, and six creatures appeared. "So the little purple guy right there is called a Gengar. I named him after Sans, you can't tell right now, but he's a shiny. So when he mega evolves he'll be white. I traded him to Sans and he wouldn't give him back until he was level 100...so he's there in case I get into a fight I'm having a hard time with. This one is Papyrus, and he's a Hitmonchan. I put the red scarf on him so he's got cool points. I mostly do tough and cool contests with him, but Pap is level 50. This is my starter, Undyne, she's a Greninja because they're cool and fast like her. It took me six resets to get a girl, she's level 57." She introduced Alphys the level 45 helioisk as well then Toriel the level 47 Flaffy and finally Flowey the level 14 Sunkern. "I just caught you and I'm training you up now!"

"Hn... so you just... captured all these monsters and fight with them?" he asked again before tilting his head at the little seed. "Heh, but I'm a flower, not a seed... if you take me out, I can show you just what my seeds look like..."

"....I know what your friendliness pellets look like Flowey..." She huffed. "That's why your little Pokemon knows bullet seed." She teased him.

Flowey paused before he huffed, peering at the screen. "So... it shoots seeds too?" he asked curiously, trying to push the screen, but his leaves weren't registering on the touch screen.

She nodded, "We'll get in a battle and I'll show you!" Frisk ran around in the grass before a wooper popped out. She smiled, "This is going to be too easy." She made Flowey use bullet seed and knocked it out in two hits. "Ta da!"

Flowey paused before he grinned. "So... do I get the monster's soul now that I killed him?" he asked with a soft giggle, "Golly, I think I'll like this game after all!"

"No, you get experience points though, and you didn't kill him he just passed out." Frisk stated. "Do you want to pet him?"

"I guess. That might be fun, to reward the little warrior for aiming to kill until his human told him not to..." Flowey nodded as he watched Frisk move them from one screen to another, where the happy little seed made a noise and bounced around. She ran the stylus over his cheeks and watched it shake and dance again.

"He liked that." She giggled, "You make a very cute sunkern there Flowey."

"I'm always cute," he chimed, glancing back at the dancing seed on screen. He huffed- he bet that little monster had a soul of his own, even if it was a digital one.

Frisk pat his head, "There's been one time you haven't been so cute." She pat his petals as they played, Flowey chose the moves and Frisk tapped them to order the little seed pokemon.

Flowey giggled, tilting his head to look up at her. "Oooh, are you sure? Golly, that's not a very nice thing to say... and you're supposed to be a nice human, aren't you?" Still, he fell silent as he got absorbed into playing the game despite himself. He knew he shouldn't- that it was just a dumb little game, but Frisk was really good at it and teaching it.

 

Asgore soon popped in and blinked at the scene. Flowey was actually smiling! Not even his creepy 'everything dies now' smile either. He crossed his arms and leaned on the door frame. "So are you telling Flowey the story tonight?" He teased her.

"Story time? Really?" Flowey muttered skeptically.

"Sometimes we just talk until I'm tired, or Asgore will tell me stories about before he was King." She smiled before glancing back at the game, "Flowey and I are trying to evolve his Pokemon."

Flowey made a face before looking back at Asgore. "Golly, I can't imagine anything that would put someone to sleep faster than one of your stories," he stated with a giggle, "But I guess that's just part of you." He giggled again before looking back at the screen.

"Don't be too jealous of my voice there Flowey." the king gave a soft smile as he laughed. He turned back to Frisk, "Oh? Well that's good, is Sans helping you too? Or is this not a game you can play online?" He rubbed his head as he moved to sit on the bed with Frisk. 

" Well his pokemon are all super tough because he's a cheater," Frisk teased, " So I'm building a team to take on his, and I think I'll have enough of the types to beat him once Flowey evolves." 

" I see." Asgore nodded. He glanced at Flowey,  "Did Frisk tell you the stories we made up for her pokemon?" 

"Not yet! Do you want to hear them?" She glanced down at the flower.

Flowey seemed more than a little peeved that his comments didn't seem to affect Asgore. He shifted a bit in his pot before tapping the screen again. "I thought the story was that we run around killing monsters to gain love, isn't that it?" he asked in confusion.

Frisk shook her head, "nope, LV stands for Level this time, it's like age or rank. EXP is experience and that's what makes you go up in rank, no one dies or anything either. You just make them faint remember?" She nodded, "Sans was the first Pokemon I met, in my story he was already super strong but he didn't want to be a show off, so he hid his level. He and Papyrus saved me from team magma." She beamed. "They're the bad guys." 

"Well that just doesn't make any sense," Flowey protested with a huff, "Why make a game with terminology that's so far away from reality? It's like purposefully trying to confuse the player." He frowned before relaxing a bit as Frisk started to tell her story. "I see, so those two are your heroes?" Something about that made him annoyed...

"Yes and Undyne tried to kill us, which isn't far from the truth, and I met you when you jumped out to surprise me, but ended up beating up a scary wild Pokemon instead. So you're kind of a hero too." She pat his head.

"Toriel and I apparently adopted her and that's how she met us." Asgore laughed. "I told her that Rapidash would have been better for Toriel but I was quickly informed that Rapidash is a horse not a goat...which I get, but fire magic-"

"Nope, mama fluff is a Flaffy." Frisk remained adamant about that. 

Flowey made a face before looking back at Asgore. "A horse isn't a goat," he said simply before giggling, "Neither are humans or flowers. Gee, you're pretty bad at this!" Asgore blinked then huffed, taking a deep breath just as Toriel told him to. Flowey was not to push any buttons...but he was getting pretty close. Flowey continued to pat his leaves against the DS.  "Our happy little seed is not much of a hero, you know. It's a good facade to fool you."

Frisk nodded then pulled up her pokedex, "He evolves into Sunflora, and we're now about ten levels from evolving. Then I can teach him all kinds of moves to make him strong." She pointed at the smiling flower pokemon. 

"What moves are you going to use?" Flowey swayed in his pot. 

"Solar beam is a good move, so is Earth Power." Asgore nodded, " Sunflora can learn those right?" He had watched Frisk play this so much he was actually learning from it. 

Frisk nodded, "Then I think I can take on the league and after that I can beat Sans!" Flowey watched the two of them. He still felt nothing. Anger was a good description for it, or maybe boredom. He didn't like seeing his father engaged so thoroughly with another kid, but he couldn't feel enough to want to engage with him...Frisk tried to keep Flowey included, and Asgore did too, but it was clear he still felt a little jealous.  Flowey didn't really respond to their attempts to engage or include him- in fact it seemed to only frustrate him further. He wanted to feel and participate and get excited, but he couldn't and he didn't.  At bed time, Asgore made sure Flowey wouldn't get cold before telling them both goodnight and slipping out. The flower was frowning at Asgore as he left, huffing and turning away from Frisk to look out the window. He wouldn't get injected tomorrow...he'd use the last ounces of his powers to break this pot and steal the lizard and the old man's soul...

 


	2. First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit long, but I wanted to include as much as I could in the 'Dosage' chapters. As a result this part may be shorter than the last part, but the chapters will probably be longer. Thanks for reading!

Flowey was pouting in Frisk's arms. "I do not want to go. Why do you insist on bringing me here?" The walk to the lab wasn't too long, but it felt like an eternity with Flowey's complaining. 

" They're going to make sure you're getting better. If you aren't you get a little shot and we go back home, it's not like they're going to kill you..." Frisk nodded, as the door opened.

"That's what you believe, Frisk? They're going to inject me with poisons..." Flowey hissed bitterly,  "I'm a failed experiment, or have you forgotten what you saw in Alphys' lab?" Frisk just sighed and shook her head. As they made their way through the lab, she could hear the end of a conversation-

_I always focused on what would happen if I succeeded instead of failed. Attack every experiment with confidence, and no one will know when you wing it. After all I practically invented *Wing*ing it._ He glanced up as the door opened and in walked Frisk. _Ah if it isn't our little human assistant! With the patient._   Frisk gasped with bright eyes when she saw Gaster.

" You're all solid again, Mister Goop!" Gaster raised a brow, apparently not familiar with this new nickname. 

_I was solid before, now I'm stable._ He corrected with a soft chuckle. 

"So the old man's struggling to remain relevant? Or remembered?" Flowey swayed in his pot with a snigger. 

_Relevant_. Gaster answered, but he had a snarky grin on his face. _If it weren't for Frisk and Asgore though you wouldn't be relevant or remembered keep that in mind_. Frisk paused, glancing between the two of them.

"Hee hee, so you say. The void's still all over you, they'll forget again so easily..." Or once he could figure out how to reset... then he'd show him what fear really meant. Gaster shot a glare at the flower before taking a deep breath. 

"Ignore him...this...this won't hurt him...right?" She wondered aloud, then put Flowey on the table. For a moment, the little flower seemed extremely confused, but once Gaster came closer, he hissed and tried to wiggle away. 

_Despite my attitude towards our little friend here, I promise this shouldn't hurt._  Gaster picked him up and sat him in the full body scanner. The scanner itself was not a large tool, converted from the blue prints of the determination extractor, but the room that the subjects needed to be in was almost as big as the virtual reality room. He nodded to Alphys when they were ready.

 "Don't touch me, old man..." he hissed before struggling and squirming in his pot. Now would be the perfect time... he tried to force his roots to grow, to draw on what power he had. Flowey hissed and giggled as he grew and his roots began to slip out of the edges of the pot. They weren't quite big enough to wrap up the others yet, but just a few minutes... he could feel his determination. He could do this...Frisk gasped and stood by Alphys, who seemed more concerned with the numbers. 

"Uhh... Gaster, this is weird. It looks like his levels are all spiking, but that should be impossible..." Alphys murmured in confusion. "Determination was at max- now we're at one hundred and two percent-" Just as he was about to say something, Gaster glanced up and caught sight of Flowey.

_PERSEVERANCE NOW! Syringe! No dropper this time!_  He rushed into the scanning room then summoned some extra hands as a distraction, _He's purely determination we have to get him to calm down!_ He caught the syringe in a pair of summoned hands while he himself tried to distract the flower. Flowey's vines were already shooting for Gaster, catching his hands and pulling him close. Another set of hands was summoned to race at Flowey's face, the more distractions the better. So while pulling at the demon flower's petals, the other pair stuck the needle into the stem and injected the perseverance. It began to work immediately, all of the determination that Flowey was building up boosted the injection so it would work faster. Gaster prepared himself however with his eyes flashing green. Flowey cackled and tightened the vines, ready to start his smack talk- then the vines suddenly fell to the floor and withered.

"No... NO what did you do, old man?! Too afraid to give your soul up for someone who really needs it?" He hissed as he shrank, the Perserverance eating through his determination quickly. He felt empty again... nothing...Frisk and Alphys were in the scanner as soon as it powered down. Alphys went to Gaster and Frisk slowly made her way to Flowey. 

_Alphys, readings? Are we stable?_   Gaster panted, feeling the energy in the room die out, but only one dose of Perseverance wasn't going to eat up all the determination inside that tiny little flower...however, it may have just made enough Hope that if Asriel's soul was still there somehow...maybe it would start to come back together.

"Hold still I'm checking you first-" She sighed, glancing over the portable. She then turned it on Flowey and looked at the screen carefully, "Uhm, well... I'm not sure what I'm seeing..." she admitted nervously. "His determination is stabilized but... there's usually Hope. There's a sliver that might be it, but... it's not really as strong as it should be... Or maybe..." she paused, peering at the readings and wondering if that sliver was a fragment of soul.

Gaster covered his mouth with a hand then nodded, _Let's keep watching it and see what he does next time._

" Flowey? Are you okay?" Frisk murmured, gently going to pick him up. The flower hissed at her though. 

"You let this happen..." he muttered, twisting in his pot a bit like he was in pain. He was trying to build his determination up, to feel something- anything - other than emptiness. His breathing evened out before he drooped- it was as if his determination were stunted and held back. "You monster ," he hissed at Gaster. The scientists didn't seem to be listening though. 

"I...I didn't mean...they said it wouldn't hurt, so I..." She sniffed, "I'll help you...I'm sorry..." Flowey let out a soft hiss, curling in on himself. Frisk stepped a little closer and peered through the petals, his face was twisted into a demonic snarl again, like when he used to taunt her below.

"Feel... I can't feel anything..." he muttered before shifting to look at her with a huff. "Bringing me here isn't helping..." Maybe he could get her to do it. Just to pull him out of the pot a little bit... but even now he felt empty and void, like he had holes he couldn't fill. "I hate it, what did you do?!" he hissed over at Gaster and Alphys.

Alphys tried to ignore the creepy flower, but she could see how hurt Frisk was as they left the scanning room. "Frisk... do you want to see?" she asked hesitantly with a nervous smile. "It's good news. Or it will be..." She waved Frisk to the observation desk. Frisk sighed and brought him with her, wanting him to be a part of this. Gaster lightly touched her back.

 "Get me away from them. What are you doing ?" Flowey grumbled. His voice was dark and quiet though, like he didn't know how to deal with the lack of anger...

_See that? His Determination and Perseverance are equally matched when this scan was taken. Tomorrow we'll assess where he's at, and if he needs more Perseverance then we'll give it to him, if not we'l let what is in his system work through._  

Frisk tilted her head, " So the red is determination...the blue is perseverance...what's the yellow?"

Alphys paused, smiling a bit nervously. "Well... I think- and I'm not positive about this mind you- but it might be Asriel's soul... or what's left of it." She beamed, "Kind of like that episode of dark void where they were trapped in space and had to fix the parts of the ship scattered everywhere-" She stared blankly at Alphys as she spoke. Gaster cleared his throat as if to remind Alphys that Frisk had no idea what she was talking about before watching Frisk slowly figure it out for herself.

" So...it just needs to be pieced together...like yours!" She smiled up at Gaster who chuckled and nodded.

_Maybe, we won't know for sure until the next scan, but it's a good possibility_.

"A-ah, yes, exactly, just like that! Maybe..." Alphys replied, tapping her two index fingers together. "He uhm... are you sure you don't want to leave him here, Frisk?"

"...He'll be okay...I didn't know it would hurt-" 

_It might be better if we put a bigger pot around him..._ Gaster offered, _He could be unstable-_

" I trust him," Frisk pointed out, " We should have listened to him sooner so we could do it slower, and now he's hurt...I want to give him a chance."

_....At least take the time-out flower pot?_ Gaster offered it to her, _You don't have to uproot him just plop him in there when he's being hostile and it shouldn't let his magic escape_. Frisk paused then nodded and picked up the enchanted pot. 

 

The walk home was quiet...she thought the walk there took forever but in the silence it was almost worse. 

"Flowey...does it really hurt?...I'm sorry..."

He breathed a long, sharp sigh. "It's empty. You took away the only illusion of feeling I had for **nothing** but empty **lies**. So yes, it hurts."

Frisk sighed and gulped, " ....Do you want to play pokemon tonight?" She didn't want to cry, but she tried so hard to save Flowey and now it seemed like she was doing nothing but harming him. Flowey was silent for a long moment. He didn't want to play anything. He wanted to go sit out in the garden and rot. Or at least wait for whatever he was injected with to wear off. He glanced up at Frisk, studying the pain in her face for a moment.

"... Fine..." he muttered, not wanting to play, but if Frisk cried she might just drop him, and this pot wouldn't shatter. Not for lack of him trying before... "I still need to level up, right?" he murmured, feigning interest. Frisk weakly nodded.

 

The two walked past Toriel and Asgore so fast that it was extremely noticible, and Asgore glanced at Toriel as if to silently ask if she saw the look on their faces. Toriel paled when she saw both of her children struggling, nodding at Asgore. She followed them to their room before lightly knocking on the door to ask brightly. "Do you two want some pie?" Asgore leaned on the wall a short ways from Toriel to listen. 

"Give mine to Frisk..." Flowey muttered.

" I would like some, please. J-just one piece though" Frisk nodded, reaching for Pokemon again. She'd tell Toriel about it later, but she didn't want to talk about it now, she just wanted to play with Flowey and see if he would perk up from it.

Toriel nodded, gently kissing Frisk on the head and patting Flowey's  petals. "I'll be right back," she murmured before taking a deep breath and heading to the kitchen. Asgore grimaced and followed her.

"Something happened in the lab I guess..." He frowned, "Speaking of which...Flowey's magic feels different, you can feel it too right?"

She pulled out the pie, looking over at Asgore sadly. "He feels... I don't know, less dangerous? But Frisk looks so upset and he looks like he's in another world."

Asgore grimaced, " Maybe whatever they did made him actually feel calm for once..." He crossed his arms, " Sometimes that feels like nothing." He leaned against the wall as he watched her. "From what I heard he's only been living on Determination, which isn't always a good thing...and he was an angry little thing..." 

Toriel paused before looking at Asgore nervously. "I really hope you're right darling..." she murmured, focusing back on cutting the pie. "I can imagine you are... he's felt nothing but emptiness and yet... determination. I can't even imagine how that must have felt. Then to suddenly feel... something, but not a burst of emotion, maybe..." She trailed off, laughing softly to try and calm herself down. "Now I'm rambling." Asgore crossed the room then gently put his hand on her back as he kissed her cheek.

" All we can do is try and make him feel like he's home, and we can trust Gaster and Alphys..." He nuzzled against her, " You're a great mother, I'm sure after this passes he'll actually feel something like happiness. Let's leave that part up to Frisk." Toriel nodded with a soft sigh, leaning against Asgore for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"I suppose all we can do is hope. That's all we have," she murmured before nodding to herself and gently turning to peck his lips. "I'm going to bring Frisk her pie. Try not to eat the whole tin while I'm gone."

Asgore laughed and growled after her, " An attempt will be made, but no promises."

 

Toriel smiled at Asgore's words before peering in to watch her two children. She smiled softly, holding out the plate for Frisk with a gentle smile. "You two look like you're getting pretty involved in that game," she said with a soft laugh, gently reaching out to pat Flowey again which made him lift his head a little bit.

"... Frisk is still showing me how to play," he murmured with a huff.

" Just until he can hold the stylus himself." Frisk nodded, " We're going to evolve him then fight the league." she nodded and gratefully took the pie. "Thanks mom." She put the DS aside to take a bite then hummed her delight.  "...Do you want a bite?" She glanced down at Flowey. Toriel chuckled softly despite her worry, doing her best to hide it from her children.

"You're welcome sweetheart," she gently smoothed down Frisk's hair before stepping back and watching Frisk offer the food to Flowey. 

Flowey shook his head, "No. You eat it," he muttered, poking at the screen with one leaf but nothing happened.

Toriel sighed softly, "Your father will be in soon to tuck you both in. Don't stay up too late."

" Yes mom," Frisk smiled, " We won't."

After Asgore finally said goodnight, Frisk helped Flowey stay warm before she fell asleep.

 

The next day Frisk went off to school with Toriel, and Asgore promised to take care of Flowey. The morning started out a little awkward before Asgore decided to take the flower outside with him. It was a little cool outside, with winter having just ended. The silence this time was different. Asgore lightly hummed to himself as he planed a few tea roses and assessed his daffodils. It was a calm silence, almost peaceful. " Holding up alright?" Asgore finally broke it, wanting to make sure Flowey didn't need anything.  Flowey was still silent. He looked a little less spaced out, but he was no less vacant and distant than the night before.

"I'm fine..." he muttered after a moment before huffing. "No... I'm not. I'm empty. Still. I can't... **feel** anything. Not even determination..."

"....you certainly look worried at least..." Asgore sighed, " I know how you feel though..." He made sure the tearose he just planted was staying straight. "After everything happened and....uh...I had the castle to myself....I grew numb to just about everything." He frowned, " I'm not proud of it, but it....it made it easier when Gaster came to give his reports..." He furrowed his brow, clearly not proud of it, but he felt this talk would be healthy for Flowey. " I felt nothing until Frisk was standing in front of me and I...I couldn't anymore..." He grimaced, "Too cowardly to face the surface and take the souls, but too committed to back out." Flowey let out a huff that sounded like a half growl in response to Asgore's words, he shook his petals out and turned further to face the sun.

"It's not the same," he muttered, "You had the capacity to feel. All I had was emptiness and then determination... and determination feels so good..." he muttered with a huff, "And now your stupid pet scientists took that away from me. Now there's nothing. Not even the capacity for the cowardice or commitment you held."

Asgore tilted his head, " Well you don't know that, you haven't felt anything for a while." He pointed out, " You could be feeling something right now and just not know what it is." He sat back, " Hopelessness?....Depression...that can make you feel like you're not feeling anything." He cleared his throat, trying not to dwell on it either. " You know what? Let's have some tea..." He picked up Flowey's pot and brought him back inside, opening the window above the kitchen sink so they could still have fresh air and the sunlight before Asgore put the kettle on. 

"That's impossible," Flowey muttered with a huff, glaring at Asgore as he was picked up, "I know everything. I would know if I started to feel something again..." His glare turned into a scowl, even as he was trying to figure things out in his own mind. Was he depressed? Was it just hopelessness? It still felt empty, but without the determination to change it or destroy the world. "How is stupid tea supposed to help?" He huffed and turned to face the sun again.

" It has a natural effect on mood. It might help you feel something, or decide what you're feeling." He shrugged, " You never know until you try." As the kettle began to whistle he quickly poured the cups and left a little straw for Flowey, " May want to let that cool..."

"Tea isn't magic, old man," Flowey muttered, but he found himself staring down into the hot cup of liquid once it was placed in front of him. He waited, just staring at it silently before looking away. "Tea won't fix the fact that I don't feel. Just like your scientists can't." He waited another long moment in protest before he reluctantly bent down to take a sip, but nothing seemed to change.

" I never said it was." Asgore chuckled, " It's just warm and nice." He smiled, " Naturally calming and usually makes me feel a little better, I thought it might help..."

Flowey huffed, taking a few more sips. "Well, it doesn't," he muttered before drinking some more. Only when the tea was entirely gone did he speak again. "But it was nice.... I guess..." Asgore only smiled knowingly, picking up Flowey and heading back out to the garden and put him back in the sun.

They stayed out until Toriel and Frisk came home.

 

 " Flowey...would you mind if I tried to make them fix you?" Frisk murmured as she picked him up. "They want to check on you anyway, maybe they'll find out they made a mistake?"

 "So they can inject me with more poison?..." he muttered, shifting in his pot. "There's no mistake, Frisk. They want to get rid of me. They're done..."

" That's not true..." Frisk murmured, making her way back inside. "I'll take you tomorrow...and we'll see what they say." 

 

_**To be Continued...** _ ****

 


	3. Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! 
> 
> I've been sick for the past three days so I figured why not give you the next chapter while I'm lying here like a bump on a log lol
> 
> It may be shorter than last chapter, but still enjoyable!

As promised, Frisk took Flowey to the Lab. She walked with a quick step, long stride, and was quickly marching through the front door. She reached the examination table and plopped Flowey on it, took a deep breath and looked the scientists in the face with a huff.

 "F-Frisk, what are you doing here? I thought you two wouldn't be back until-" Alphys trailed off as she was interrupted.

" You did something wrong..." Gaster glanced at Alphys before looking back at Frisk. " Flowey is...worse." she frowned, " He can't feel anything now..."

"W-what?... No, that's..." she looked at Gaster for help, clearly nervous. They didn't just kill the King's son...did they? Flowey was slumped over his pot, tired and quiet. He slowly tilted his head up to glare at Gaster and Alphys.

"Are you happy now, old man?" he hissed at Gaster.

Gaster stared at him then huffed, seeming to grow cold, _I'm sorry the results don't lie...science doesn't lie. He was progressing it must have been something you did._

Frisk blinked and froze. " What?"

He kept up the act, instantly slipping into scientist mode. _We'll have to re run tests if you overloaded what little soul he had starting to form you could have ruined the entire experiment...and then what? We won't have Flowey or Asriel...such a shame really, this would have helped a lot of other monsters...Alphys prepare the scanner, we need to make sure the human didn't break everything._  He had to hide a grimace at his own words, but he had to make the act believable for both of them if he was going to draw anger out of Flowey.

" But I...I couldn't...could I?" Frisk sniffled suddenly, " I didn't break Flowey....did I?" Flowey stiffened, seeing Frisk actually start to sniffle and tears well up stirred something inside him. 

Alphys covered her mouth when she heard Frisk's sniffs and Flowey's face. "Dr. G-Gaster?..." she murmured nervously.

Flowey suddenly hissed, glaring at Gaster, one vine shooting from his pot to wrap around the doctor's wrist and drag him closer. "You old idiot she has nothing to do with this," he ground out darkly, his expression changing to something more demonic. He could feel it back. It must have been determination- he felt powerful but weak at the same time... that must have been whatever they injected him with still working. As he dragged Gaster closer, he tried to shoot more vines at him. "This is your fault! I was FINE UNTIL YOU INJECTED ME WITH YOUR POISON! But it's wearing off, I can feel it..." he giggled, his eyes flashing, "And now you're going to pay for what YOU did to me!"

Gaster blinked then gasped as he was grabbed, then he felt Flowey's magic go out of control. "D-Doctor, he's incredibly unstable!" Alphys cried worriedly, scared of what would happen to Frisk if he continued to spiral out of control like this. "Flowey, stop!" 

The skeleton summoned a few more hands to catch the vines before chuckling, _Genuine anger...and is that a tinge of Sorrow as well? This is getting more and more interesting..._

Frisk sniffled, " Flowey...stop..." Gaster's hands popped off and he took a step back, summoning more to replace them. He sighed and nodded for Alphys to take notes. 

_I needed a reaction, and I got it_ , He tilted his head, _You are actually angry! Think of what that means Flowey! You are feeling, the experiment has been a success so far._  He dodged another vine before using his own magic to plop Flowey in another time-out pot. Frisk wiped her eyes and sniffed. 

"W-wait...what?" Frisk sniffled. 

"It's your turn, you idiot, THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS!" Flowey giggled, his vines seemingly undeterred, "What it means is I have the power to make you pay again!" He felt the cold feeling of emptiness still, but this determination didn't have the cool calculating focus he was used to. Instead it felt wild and out of his own control. "Hee, you idiot, don't you know I can't feel anger?" he hissed before he was picked up. "PUT ME DOWN!" He yelped as he was put in the magical inhibition pot. He wiggled and shifted violently in his own little pot. Unlike when he attacked before, he looked like he was having a full on fit now. "LET ME OUT LET ME OUT LET ME OUT!!!" 

_That is anger you silly little flower, and until you calm down you will remain in time out._ Gaster chuckled, now turning to Alphys, _Will the portable scanner pick up on Hope?_

Alphys nodded, though she looked a bit shaken by the sudden violence coming out of Flowey. "Uhm, yes, I think so... if not we can send the readings back to the main scanner. He then glanced to Frisk. 

_I'm sorry for being so harsh to you Frisk...but I needed a truly emotional reaction, something born of compassion instead of self-defense._ Frisk sniffled and nodded, wiping her eyes as she made her way to Flowey. 

 "Thank you for trying to help, but I don't think stealing his soul is the best way to do that..." She ignored Gaster for now, she forgave him, but she wanted to be sure Flowey was okay first. Flowey glared at Frisk, hissing as she pat his head.

"Don't patronize me! Don't laugh at me! Don't... don't..." he trailed off, breathing heavily as the pinpricks of tears stung his eyes. It wasn't sorrow but frustration and exhaustion. He used what little energy he had been building in his tantrum. "Just don't..." he muttered, turning away from her in frustration and a hint of shame.

" I'm not laughing at you," Frisk sniffled, "You did that to help me, and I appreciate it...thank you. That's what friends do." She was quiet with the last parts, wanting to keep it just between them.

"Yes you are," Flowey muttered bitterly before huffing, unsure what was going on inside of him. He did know one thing, though. Frisk crying definitely did trigger his desire to make Gaster and Alphys pay even more for what they did. He huffed at her words before Gaster came over and he glared at him. "Go away! I don't need any more of your poison old man," he hissed, glaring at him, "And I'll tell Sans and Papyrus what you just did... how well do they know the real Gaster, I wonder?..."

_Tell them, I'll explain my actions and accept the consequences. I'm not afraid,_ Gaster huffed, before patting Frisk's back,  _Are you okay? I am sorry, Frisk..._

" It's okay...just...warn me next time. I think Flowey and I are going to go home now..." She nodded, still drying up. 

Gaster sighed then began reading the scans. _Hmmm.._. he rubbed his chin, _It looks like the chemicals are equalising...Alphys what do you think? He'd be fine without another dose, or should we give him a half dose?_

Alphys laughed a bit nervously at Gaster's words. "Given his violence, speeding up the process to get more positive emotions quickly is probably in our best interest," Alphys pointed out with a nervous laugh. "Just to avoid another tantrum..."

"I'm not having a tantrum!" Flowey snapped, jerking around in his pot again, "Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Frisk gasped and tried to help Flowey stay calm. 

Gaster nodded and readied a dropper, _Lets try an oral dose this time._ He waited for Flowey to open his mouth and when that didn't happen he sighed, _The sooner you get a soul the stronger you'll be you know that right? Now open up- HAH!_ Gaster grinned as he got the perseverance in the flower's mouth. _We'll see you two in a few days for a check up._

"You- AGH!" he cried out and struggled as the dose was dropped right into his mouth, squirming in his pot. "STOP POISONING ME!"

 

Frisk waited for Flowey to calm down before she picked him up and started walking home. He was still fuming. Next time he'd move faster, he'd use more power, and he'd take Gaster's smug soul right out of his body... "You're not mad that he made you cry?" Flowey asked on the walk home, still bitter.

"I'm still a little upset, but I guess I understand? He wanted to see if you would get angry over something that didn't directly affect you? I guess? I'm more excited that you reacted to protect me. That was really brave of you, Gaster is kind of scary..."

"No, you should be angry! He used you as a pawn for his experiment!" Flowey replied in exasperation, looking back at Frisk. He flushed when Frisk mentioned that he did it to protect her, quickly looking away again. "He's an old man who thinks he has all the power and answers in the world... he forgets which one of us saw everything and controlled it all..." he muttered with a huff.

Frisk nodded and sighed, "It wasn't very nice that's for sure...but you feel a little better don't you? Or do you really want to tell Sans and Papyrus?"

"Oh I'm telling Sans and Papyrus..." Flowey said darkly, "The old man has gotten away with too much for too long in the name of science. It's time everyone knew." He huffed, shifting in his pot. He felt the strange determination-not-determination feeling in the pit of his stomach, and all he wanted to do was tear something apart. Frisk thought a moment, then started walking toward the brothers' house, thinking that maybe talking it out would help after all. She knocked on the door and smiled lightly as Papyrus answered.

" Hello Frisk, and Flowey! Sans! We have guests!" He stepped aside to let them in.

" Thanks, Flowey and I wanted to talk."

Sans poked his head up from the couch. "Oh, hey kid. What's on your mind? You look distracted," he stated simply, tilting his head as he watched Frisk bring Flowey inside.

"What's up is that your father is a jerk and made Frisk cry just for his experiment!" he hissed, his grin turning wicked. It felt good to spit venom about Gaster... "He's done terrible things in the name of science... do you even know about them?!"

Sans paused, looking back at Frisk. "Is that true, kid? Did he make you cry?..."

Papyrus frowned as she nodded. " Oh no...why?" He sat beside Sans to look her in the eye. 

" W-well I thought Flowey was broken, and he needed to see if he could get a reaction out of him, so-" She sighed, " So he told me I broke him..."  Papyrus seemed shocked for a moment. 

"Why? How could you break him?" He frowned. 

" I guess the reaction is more genuine if it's not defensive?" Frisk echoed what Gaster told her. 

Sans frowned, his expression going from his usual grin to something steady and unmoving. "So he told you it was your fault and made you cry to make Flowey react?" he asked calmly.

Flowey paused before he slowly grinned. "Yes, that's right... that's exactly what he did..." Sans glanced at Frisk, who slowly nodded before huffing and standing up with a long sigh.

"Pap, watch the kid for a sec," he said simply before he teleported away.

 

" Ye- Sans wait!" She gasped as he poofed then sighed. " I didn't mean to...ah..."

" Don't worry I'm sure he's just going to talk," Papyrus nodded, his unwavering optimism shining through, " it's nothing we need to worry about...but that wasn't the best way to get a reaction. Do you guys want anything? Soda? I've got spaghetti and cupcakes too." He smiled as Frisk looked up at cupcakes. 

Flowey giggled before looking up at Papyrus. "I would like a cupcake," he said smugly, tilting his head up and feeling proud that he'd sent Sans off to be angry with his father. Papyrus smiled lightly and led them to the kitchen. 

 

_**To be Continued...** _


	4. Results

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another pretty long chapter, sorry about that. I wanted to include Sans confronting Gaster (it was originally going to be its own chapter, but it was waaay too short). There's some Frisk, Flowey and Goat Parent bonding time though!

Sans ended up outside of Gaster's office, leaning on the door with his eye glowing. "Dad."

Gaster glanced up, _Oh San-_ He paused. _....Why are you looking at me like that?...What did the flower tell you?_  He frowned.

Sans frowned back, tilting his head up. "Flowey didn't tell me anything. The kid said you made her cry today," Sans stated, not backing down, not yet, "... for the sake of an experiment with Flowey."

Gaster paused, then sighed and took off his glasses, _It did end up making her cry, but that was not the intention...._ He was about to explain further, but Sans didn't look like he wanted to know the science behind it. _...A true emotion, something that comes from the soul, must have compassion behind it or at least be something that is roused from outside the individual. I only chose Frisk as the subject because she is the only person Flowey cares about...and she understood that after everything was under control...I made sure of that, I made sure she knew I meant nothing I said..._

Sans was silent as Gaster explained, sighing and shaking his head. "Yeah, but you made her _cry_ Dad," he stated before shrugging, "Sometimes science isn't always a good excuse. It wasn't when you started playing with the Core and it isn't now." He paused, shrugging, "I hope you got what you wanted. If I hear you made her cry for an experiment again, I might not be so nice..."

Gaster sighed and nodded, _It won't happen again. I'm sorry Sans_. he seemed to now be thinking about his older experiments, he'd never let any of his colleagues undertake such dangerous tasks but he volunteered...now he was wondering just how selfish he was...or if he'd actually wanted to die back then, just to see Lucida again. Though now...looking at Sans, he could almost see her scowling at him. He shook his head and stood, _I'm done for the night, would you mind if I walked home with you?_

"Alright, good to hear," Sans replied, dropping his expression and flashing a thumbs up at his father. He relaxed- obviously that was all he wanted to say to Gaster rather than bringing up the past or the times when he didn't come home. Or the one time he really disappeared from their lives. "Sure, I know a short cut. Unless you want to take the long way?"

 _Would you mind too much if we took the long way?_ Gaster smiled gently, _I think I just want to walk with you._ He quickly put everything away, and only took a single folder with him. _We can talk or we don't have to, I just...I'm glad to be back and I don't want to ruin any part of it by being too absorbed in my work..._

"Nah, we can go the long way," Sans replied with a shrug, relaxing a bit. "Frisk and Flowey are at the house with Papyrus, so he won't be lonely." He smirked, ignoring the fact that Papyrus was supposed to be the one watching the kids and not the other way around. "Heh, as for work it's too late pops, you're always stuck in some experiment or other," Sans teased, "It's the **core**  of who you are." He nodded for Gaster to start walking with him.

 _I try not to be,_ Gaster insisted. _I want to spend as much time as I can with you, there's just...so many things I want to help with too...it's harder to juggle time when it's not all splayed out in front of you._ He paused and just stared at Sans as he realized what exactly he said, _Too soon, always too soon._

"Come on, this way. We might want to get somethin' from Grillby's before going home to Papyrus' cooking." Sans just laughed. 

 _Come now Sans be a little easier on your brother, at least it's getting better._ He pointed out.

"Eh, I love Pap, he's the coolest, but he's not that good yet..." he pointed at his father with a smirk, "If you're **burning** to try his spaghetti, then go ahead. I'm sure he'd be happy to make it for you." Sans chuckled, of course remembering the last time Papyrus cooked and somehow burned the spaghetti

 _I'm so hungry I'll try just about anything._ Gaster chuckled. _I need to **ketchup** with Papyrus' cooking lessons anyway._ He teased.

Sans laughed at the joke, shaking his head with his hands in his pockets. He was quiet for a moment before he huffed out a soft laugh. "It's good to have you back, dad. Let's just keep it that way..."

_That's the plan..._

 

Frisk and Flowey were back home before Gaster and Sans got back. She was giving him some water and his plant food again before smiling, " Do you feel better now that everyone's been talked to?"

Flowey giggled wickedly, "Just wait, Frisk. I feel fine but the good Doctor is not going to be so lucky." He huffed at the plant food and water, ignoring it. After the cupcake, he didn't want to go back to the disgusting plant food.

" You actually ate something too," Frisk pointed out, putting the plant food down and just giving him the water instead. " So I guess you don't need plant food anymore?"

He paused, shrugging his little leaves. "I don't know... but the cupcake tasted good. Do we have more sweet stuff around?" he asked, his eyes lighting up just a bit at the idea. "Maybe I've gone from plant food to sweets?"

He giggled and glanced down at him with a small spark in her eyes, " Do you want to try mom's pie now?"

Flowey nodded, his eyes eagerly matching hers. "The butterscotch cinnamon pie?"

" Yes!" Frisk quickly got two plates, the pie cutter and then pulled the pie out of the fridge, " Quick while mom and dad aren't home!" She giggled, cutting the pieces then setting them out. She put the pie away then sat with him and helped him eat his piece. Flowey grinned, though it was different from his usual wicked grin. It was eager and excited, like he actually was looking forward to pie. Like he could feel the anticipation and excitement of sweets.

"Hurry, they'll be home any minute- not, not like that! We'll never finish in time!" he protested but didn't fight eating a big bite of the piece of pie. He hummed happily and leaned down to try and put his face in it, but Frisk stopped him by feeding him more of his.

Sadly they didn't quite get away with it.

" Uh oh, Tori, I think a troll got into the pie!" Asgore called back as he entered the kitchen with the groceries. " A pair of gnomes actually! Garden gnomes." He grinned as he spotted Frisk and Flowey with their pieces almost gone and pie all over their faces. "That's what you get for trying to eat to fast." He laughed. Toriel came in, doing a mock gasp before turning to the children. She couldn't help it- she burst out laughing at the sight of the two covered in pie.

"S-stop! D-don't laugh at me!" Flowey stammered, feeling his face burn and tears pricking at the corners of his eyes... why did he feel that?...

Frisk used her sleeve to wipe the pie off of her face then offered same sleeve to Flowey so he could wipe his face too. " We discovered that Flowey liked sweets at Papyrus and Sans' house...so I thought we could try the pie....again." She giggled, hiding her face too. Flowey looked like he was about to break down and cry in embarrassment before he quickly wiped his face on Frisk's sleeve. He took a deep breath, huffing and freezing. He was _feeling_ things. More than just determination. He was embarrassed and ashamed and he hated it, but it was a feeling he'd never had. The emptiness was there like a pit in the bottom of his heart, but there was more surrounding it than just determination or even anger.

Asgore smirked, " Well you two made a right mess." He teased, wiping the counter, " Or Frisk did." He sniggered at her, " We have foiled the pie thief's plans, dear, what should I do with the culprits?" He grinned at Toriel before picking Frisk up easily, he put her over his shoulder then gently took Flowey and situated his pot in the palm of his hand.

Toriel giggled softly, covering his mouth, "Well, while I'm flattered you wanted to go straight for my pie again, but I should remind you that you haven't had dinner yet, young lady," she half-scolded with a smile. When Asgore asked what they would do, she giggled again. "Oh, I don't know, how about helping me make dinner with the most skilled pie thief of all, who clearly taught them all they know?" she teased, clearly trying to reference Asgore himself. That was when she noticed Flowey. "Flowey, what's wrong? You know daddy and I aren't really mad, right?"

"... I-I'm... feeling things," Flowey murmured softly in response, looking shocked.

Asgore raised a brow at Toriel, sniggering at her reference. He was still smiling as he put Frisk down. He paused when Flowey spoke though. " Yea? Good things?" Frisk beamed and held out her hands for Flowey and his pot, which Asgore gave her. 

" Flowey was even happy earlier." She nodded.

" That's wonderful!" Asgore grinned, " Look at you little man." He pat Flowey's head gently, afraid to accidentally hurt him. " Maybe you can read the recipe and the rest of us will follow captain Flowey's orders."

Flowey shivered a bit before looking at all of them. It was overwhelming and he huffed as he was pat. He sniffed, looking away. "I don't know," he muttered bitterly, "They're... things. Confusing things..."

Toriel could practically sense an emotional tantrum about to slip out of Flowey, so she kneeled down to Frisk's level to kiss Flowey's petals gently. "My little boy, it's okay to be confused. Sometimes emotions aren't always clear and they're hard. All of us struggle with them," she said softly before gently kissing Frisk's head. "I think Asgore has an excellent idea, what do you think, Frisk?"

Frisk nodded with Toriel then smiled as she was kissed. " It's a perfect idea."

" I get those sometimes," Asgore teased, putting the book in front of Flowey so he could turn the pages with his leaves. " Alright, so what's for dinner tonight guys?"

"... Frisk, you pick..." he muttered, wanting to have more pie to feel better...he trembled a little in his pot before taking a deep breath and trying to focus. 

Toriel smiled, pulling out various pans and tools. "It's whatever you want, Flowey," she reminded him gently.

Flowey huffed, looking at the book. "I don't know... what about this... alfredo, I guess?"

"Yes!" Frisk agreed, standing on her tip toes before Asgore passed her a step stool. 

" There ya go." He smirked, " Alright so let's start-" He peered over Flowey to find out what ingredients they needed. 

 

 After dinner, Flowey was sitting in Frisk's lap, watching her play pokemon again. "So... do you really see me as one of these... pokemon things of yours?" he asked in confusion, poking at the screen, but his leaves still wouldn't make the DS respond. What he was more curious about was the implications... did Frisk see him as a tool like Chara or actually as a friend?

" Well...no, I named the pokemon after you," She nodded, " but I guess...yes at the same time? They're as much my friends in the game as you guys are my friends in real life. Especially with the little stories I made about them." She nodded.

Flowey paused, poking at the screen again. "So I'm... we are friends?" he asked cautiously, still struggling to work through all the things he felt. He didn't think he could trust anyone- he'd tried trusting Chara, and look where that lead him. 

Frisk nodded, " Yep." She tilted her head, " Are you alright Flowey? Am...am I your friend?"

He hesitated before huffing. "I don't know," he muttered tapping fruitlessly at the screen before pausing. "... I don't know what it feels like to be friends. You're different from the others."

She blinked then paused and smiled lightly, "Then...then why don't you let me show you what it's like?" She giggled, " I've been trying to, but maybe now that you can feel a little more you'll get it quicker?"

Flowey huffed softly then looked up at her skeptically. "How are you going to do that?... It's something you feel, not something you show, right?"

" It's a little bit of both." Frisk nodded, " You show someone you're their friend by sharing and caring, an action and an emotion." She beamed, " At least that's what mom says."

He paused, tilting his head and shifting a bit in his pot. "So how do you make this show?..." he asked in confusion before looking back at the screen and avoiding looking at Frisk. "Sharing and caring are very different things. One is action and one is feeling, they shouldn't go together so easily..."

"They shouldn't but they do," Frisk handed him the stylus, "can you hang on to that? You can pick the attacks this time."

He blinked in confusion before he took the stylus in his mouth with a huff. "That doesn't anshwer my queshtion..." he muttered around the stylus before sighing. "How do you show people they're your friendsh?... you have shome at shchool, don't you?"

"Kind of...you just be nice..." Frisk nodded, guiding her little person around. She headed out into the grass again.

Flowey huffed, his brow furrowed. "I don't know how," he muttered, poking at the screen with the stylus before they got into a fight. He poked at the screen to make his choices. "You came down and it was so easy for you... nothing phased you."

" I was....very scared...." Frisk nodded, " I almost cried just getting lost." She sighed, " At the same time though....I knew my way around, it was weird. Like someone was telling me where to go..."

Flowey huffed before smirking around the stylus, "Yeah, but you're not her," he muttered, poking at the screen again, "You definitely aren't. She wasn't like you."

" ....Chara?" Frisk tilted her head, "...Do you want to talk about her Flowey?"

He sighed, poking at the screen silently. "No," he finally muttered, having vague recollections of timelines where she killed him by coming back... though somehow those must have been reset? But by who and how?

" That's okay..." she nodded, " I think I've heard enough about her anyway..." She rubbed her neck, " A-are you having fun?" Flowey huffed, frowning at the screen, his mind still on Chara. She would kill him without hesitation and he couldn't. Maybe if she put Frisk in danger...

He shivered, looking up at Frisk before he huffed. "I'd have more if you took me out of the pot..."

" ....I don't think I can yet, how is your magic?" She tilted her head, " Gaster said not to let you out until you had control..."

"I've always had _**control**_ Frisk... he just fails to understand what that truly means," Flowey muttered in response, rocking back and forth in his pot. "Let me out! OUUUT! How would you like it if someone put you in a pot?"

" I wouldn't like it, but when someone took me out I wouldn't try to fling vines at them." She pointed out, quickly catching him before he could fall over. " Don't throw a fit, mom will get mad..."

"BECAUSE IT'S HIS FAULT I'M A FLOWER IN THE FIRST PLACE!" He shouted, still rocking back and forth even in Frisk's hands. "I don't care! I don't care what anyone thinks, I want out! I'm done being the one chained to a pot!"

Frisk paused then looked around, " If I can get you an unenchanted pot then will you promise that you won't hurt anyone?"

Flowey was breathing heavily, looking at Frisk for a moment in exasperation. It was humiliating to have to rely on the whim and will of a child for his freedom. "I promise Frisk..." he muttered, though he had no intention of keeping it.

" You can't break a promise you realize that right? Or you'll go right back in the no magic time out pot." She waggled a finger at him to make her point. He growled at her. He'd just have to break his promise before she could stop him. Or destroy that pot...

"Friiiiisk. You don't trust me? After all this time?"

" Not when you talk like that," She raised her brows at him. " I was trusting you." She poked him. " You have another appointment in a few days, and if you don't want Gaster to be mean then we need a good report." She giggled. " I believe in you."

Flowey huffed, his brow furrowing. "You trusted me? After what I'd done?..." he murmured in disbelief, not understanding how anyone, let alone Frisk would trust him. "Gaster is always mean. You don't trust me on that, do you?" He hissed and looked away with a pout. "No you don't, you believe everyone else but me..."

"...He told me what he did...remember?" She frowned. " He's trying to do better, and I believe him, just like I believe you. You both did awful things, and if I didn't forgive him, then that means I wouldn't forgive you." Frisk nodded, " That's not fair you know?"

"He's not trying to be better, he's a jerk by nature," he hissed before looking at Frisk skeptically. "Since when has life been fair? It's never fair! If it were fair, I wouldn't be a flower in a pot and you wouldn't have stolen my family!" Flowey paused before he suddenly paled, shaking his head. "No no no, I didn't mean my, you didn't steal, agh stop it! I hate it!"

Frisk fell silent with a soft gasp and just watched him. She frowned and now sat the DS on her bed and resituated him in her lap. " ....Do you really think that? Is that why you get so mad at Asgore?" They tried to keep him involved as much as possible, but it was difficult the days Flowey didn't want to. He was the king of temper tantrums. Flowey didn't reply. He just puffed out his cheeks and got very red in the face, watching Frisk with a mixture of anger, jealousy, and embarrassment. He seemed to be building up to another temper tantrum when Frisk hugged him, she was gentle, and careful not to hurt him. "...It's not fair...my first family shouldn't have abandoned me...and they should have tried to keep me instead of putting me up for adoption...I should have had good foster parents and I didn't...instead they were mean, and I ran away then fell down a hole." She frowned. " I know life isn't fair, but pretending that we can't make it better doesn't help..."  His face was still red but he released the breath he'd been holding.

"... I don't know who'd give you up. Your new parents won't..." he muttered softly with a sigh that sounded like a frustrated groan. "... sorry..." he muttered after a moment.

She shook her head, sniffling a little, " Me too..." Frisk quickly wiped her eyes. " I just...heh, I want to believe in everyone and help everyone, but it's hard when you don't want to help yourself." She sighed and shook her head, " I'll find you a flower pot...but you have to keep your promise..."

"What's there to help?" he muttered, pouting into his hug before he realized that she was actually crying. He hesitated and huffed, hiding his face from her that was still reddened by embarrassment and shame. "I'll keep my promise... you already said I'll get the time-out pot if I don't..."

" Just...don't fight everything..." Frisk nodded. " What happened in the past was the past, and no one is going to try and hurt you now, I'll make sure of it." She tried to stop crying, but she'd been so strong for so long she convinced herself now that it was okay to be sad or desperate.

"And you trust everyone to adhere to that?" Flowey muttered before huffing and turning away from her with a pout. He also couldn't really stand to see her crying.

" I want you to be happy, but you make it so hard by lashing out at everybody...at least Papyrus doesn't give up..." She sighed. 

"Then why don't you hang out with Papyrus? You know I can't move and I'm in a stupid pot, but you still hang out with me and not the people you can have actual fun with..."

" I do have fun with you though." she pointed out, " I was saying Papyrus is the only one besides our parents, who like me, hasn't given up on you." Frisk smiled, " He doesn't understand pokemon as well a you do. We play together all the time, isn't that fun?"

"... But everyone else has," Flowey muttered before she brought up pokemon. He huffed, feeling a little smug. "He doesn't understand pokemon? How stupid, there's no reason he shouldn't..." He felt a little better making fun of Papyrus before looking back at Frisk. "I... yes, I guess so..."

" Now be nice," Frisk giggled, her eyes finally drying. " See we have fun together. We talk and play video games, and read together too. Friends don't have to go outside and do stuff." She smiled, " You're a better friend than most of the human friends I've made at school." She nodded, " I have to keep reminding them that I live with monsters..."

 "So... you like hanging out with me better than those humans from school?" he asked curiously, tilting his head as he pretended not to be interested. "... The kids are nice to you, aren't they?..."

She nodded at his first question, but hesitated at the second, "Well, most of them are..." She sighed, " They...like to make fun of me for not being like them." She shrugged. "I'm usually pretty good about staying away from the bullies, but they stopped trying to hit me and started to call me names instead." She shrugged.

Flowey hesitated then looked back at Frisk. "So... what do you do? Just stand there and take it?" he muttered, his brow furrowing as he watched her carefully. "You're too smart to be bullied by humans with brains half your size. Show them who is the strongest human on the playground!" He paused before smiling sweetly. "Or... I could talk to them..."

Frisk sighed and shrugged, " I clam up and don't know what to say...none of the monsters in the underground called me names like they do..." She blinked then smiled gently, " I bet you'd scare the pants off of them." She giggled, " You're pretty tough after all."

"Then I'll teach you the insults to fling back at them. They're little cretins, so they will have to be just a few words to get the point across, but it will work all the same!" he chimed brightly, as though he were back welcoming Frisk to the underground. "Me? Oh no, I'm just an innocent little flower... unless you took me out of this pot and planted me in the school grounds..." Frisk smiled lightly and decided to humor him, not sure if she would actually use such insults, but maybe if he felt more important, more positive emotions would come through.

" If I planted you in the school grounds I'd get in trouble." She pointed out, " I'm all ears for the magic words though."

"Not really. I'd be learning on school grounds, just like you do. Just... learning in a different way..." Like the most effective way to take human souls for his own. It couldn't be that hard- he'd seen Gaster, Sans, and Asgore do it plenty of times... He bobbed a bit before smirking, "Well... what types of bullies are they?" As Frisk laid out her bullies for him, Flowey seemed to be in thought. He then spent the next hour or so detailing very extensive insults for each of Frisk's bullies, including the tone she was to use with each one to make her sound sufficiently non-threatening and smarter than the others. Frisk giggled as she listened, though she took his advice with a grain of salt, at least it made him feel important. The sweet tone was a nice touch. Toriel always said kill with kindness right?  ~~Flowey usually took that to the next level though...~~

"Thanks for the advice, Flowey...I think it will help out a lot." 

" Of course it will I gave it to you." He smirked, " They won't know what hit 'em." 

"...Get some sleep super-flower." Frisk beamed, " Night, Flowey..." 

"G-good night Frisk..." she caught the small startings of a smile on his face as the light clicked off. 

 

_**To be Continued...** _


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